2002
From The Met Wiki
The 2002 season was a tough one for the Mets. The team had its first record below the .500 mark in six years. The Mets won 75 games and lost 86 to finish fifth in the National League Eastern Division in Bobby Valentine's final year as manager.
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April
The Mets got off to a good start in '02. They recorded 16 wins in their 26 games in April. The team won the season opener by defeating the Pirates, 6-2, on April 1 at Shea Stadium. They won four of six games at Atlanta and Chicago from April 5 to April 11. The Mets won four of six against the Expos at Braves at Shea between April 12 and April 17. They recorded a three-game sweep of the Brewers at Shea from April 26 to April 28. The team was tied for first place with the Expos at the end of the month.
May
In May, the Mets had some difficulties. The team had 13 wins and 15 losses during the month. At Arizona on May 1, the Mets won their sixth game in a row with a 7-1 triumph over the Diamondbacks. They lost eight of nine games between May 4 and May 13. The Mets won five straight games at Los Angeles and San Diego from May 14 to May 18. They went 3-3 against the Marlins and Phillies at Shea between May 24 and May 29. The team ended the month with a 6-5 victory in 10 innings at Florida on May 31. The Mets stood one-half game behind the first-place Braves in the N. L. East.
June
Things continued to go sour for the Mets in June. They recorded only 11 victories and a .423 winning percentage for the month. The team dropped its first five June games before posting a 4-3 win at Cleveland on June 7. After losing four of five, the Mets came away with 8-0 and 3-2 triumphs over the Yankees at Shea. The Mets won four of six games against the Twins and Royals at Shea between June 23. They concluded the month with four defeats in their next six games. With a record of 40-40, the Mets were sitting fourth in the division.
July
The Mets had a winning record in July. The team had a 15-11 record for the month. The Mets started July with three wins in seven games at Philadelphia and Florida. Following the All-Star Break, they won four of six at Shea against the Phils and Marlins. The Mets had a 3-2 record at Montreal and Cincinnati from July 17 to July 21. Against the Expos and Reds at Shea, the team had four wins and two defeats. They closed the month with a 10-0 triumph over the Astros at Shea on July 31. The Mets had moved up to second place in the division.
August
in August, the Mets suffered a bottoming out. They compiled only six wins while losing 21 during the month. The team dropped five in a row to start August before chalking up a 5-1 victory at Milwaukee on August 6. They stopped a 12-game losing streak with a 5-2 win at Colorado on August 24. The Mets ended the month with 7-5 and 1-0 defeats to the Phillies at Shea. The team had fallen to the division basement, 23 and one-half games behind the first-place Braves.
September
The Mets got back to playing .500 ball in September. They won 14 of 28 games in the season's final month. The Mets had a seven-game winning streak between September 3 and September 9. The team followed up a three-game losing streak by sweeping three games against the Cubs at Shea. The Mets halted a six-game skid with a season-closing 6-1 victory over the Braves at Shea on September 29. They ended up 26 and one-half games in back of the division-winning Atlanta team.
Award Winners
- Mike Piazza won a National League Silver Slugger Award
- Tommie Agee was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame
